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Bedridden for 60 days in the name of science

Wednesday is the start of a most unusual study at the German Aerospace Center. For two months straight, test subjects will be forced to lie in bed to simulate space travel. And we swear - they are doing this voluntarily!

A space lab on Earth

May the bed rest begin!

On Wednesday, September 9, Cologne's Envihab kicks off a study in which 12 test subjects will feel what it's like to be in space. The catch? They'll have to lie down for two months straight. DW takes a look.

A space lab on Earth

Using space to understand the Earth

Astronauts' bodies undergo stress when they travel to and through space - their metabolic and endoctrine systems, among others, change. The Envihab research lab in Cologne aims to understand how the body evolves in space.

A space lab on Earth

Weak legs and muscles

When astronauts return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) they cannot walk. Their muscles have degenerated during the period of weightlessness. Without gravitation, blood moves away from the legs and builds up in the head.

A space lab on Earth

Staying fit

This fitness machine is attached to a short-arm centrifuge. Astronauts can use it to exercise their muscles. This kind of centrifuge can be to simulate gravity used during long space missions.

A space lab on Earth

A glimpse into the heart

The centrifuge at Envihab can go up to six times the Earth's gravitational acceleration - like during a rocket launch or in a fighter jet. This ultrasound machine, attached to a robot arm, can examine how the heart reacts during this process.

A space lab on Earth

Up close

The doctor can move the ultrasound machine very close above the test subject's body, allowing him to look directly into the heart or at other organs to see if they have moved during the intense accelerations, and whether or not blood vessels swell or decrease in size.

A space lab on Earth

When the brain goes into standby

EEGs, like the one shown here, help sleep researchers better understand how brain waves change , for instance when people nod off.

A space lab on Earth

When thinking changes direction

On Earth, it's pretty simple - gravitation always pulls us down. The universe around us seems to stand still. But in space, there's no up and down. So astronauts practice tricky maneuvers, like docking a space capsule, on computers before taking off.

Author: Fabian Schmidt

A space lab on Earth

May the bed rest begin!

On Wednesday, September 9, Cologne's Envihab kicks off a study in which 12 test subjects will feel what it's like to be in space. The catch? They'll have to lie down for two months straight. DW takes a look.

A space lab on Earth

Using space to understand the Earth

Astronauts' bodies undergo stress when they travel to and through space - their metabolic and endoctrine systems, among others, change. The Envihab research lab in Cologne aims to understand how the body evolves in space.

A space lab on Earth

Weak legs and muscles

When astronauts return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) they cannot walk. Their muscles have degenerated during the period of weightlessness. Without gravitation, blood moves away from the legs and builds up in the head.

A space lab on Earth

Staying fit

This fitness machine is attached to a short-arm centrifuge. Astronauts can use it to exercise their muscles. This kind of centrifuge can be to simulate gravity used during long space missions.

A space lab on Earth

A glimpse into the heart

The centrifuge at Envihab can go up to six times the Earth's gravitational acceleration - like during a rocket launch or in a fighter jet. This ultrasound machine, attached to a robot arm, can examine how the heart reacts during this process.

A space lab on Earth

Up close

The doctor can move the ultrasound machine very close above the test subject's body, allowing him to look directly into the heart or at other organs to see if they have moved during the intense accelerations, and whether or not blood vessels swell or decrease in size.

A space lab on Earth

When the brain goes into standby

EEGs, like the one shown here, help sleep researchers better understand how brain waves change , for instance when people nod off.

A space lab on Earth

When thinking changes direction

On Earth, it's pretty simple - gravitation always pulls us down. The universe around us seems to stand still. But in space, there's no up and down. So astronauts practice tricky maneuvers, like docking a space capsule, on computers before taking off.

Author: Fabian Schmidt

Twelve men between the ages of 20 and 45 were selected for the first-of-its kind research project at the Envihab in Cologne, a laborious endeavor that will subject them to zero gravity in a bid to test the effects of space travel on the human body.

To simulate weightlessness and the ensuing physical repercussions, the subjects will lie at a six-degree inclination with their heads below the rest of their bodies. According to Edwin Mulder, director of the study, this position recreates the change in blood flow - in addition to the bone and muscle depletion - suffered by astronauts subject to true weightlessness in space.

The experiment will begin with a two-week phase in which the subjects are measured to chart changes in their bodies. This data will be compared with that collected after the two months are up.

At no time during the 60 days will the subjects be able to leave their beds. One shoulder must be touching the inclined mattress at all times, even while they clean their bodies. How, you may ask? The Envihab's shower is equipped with a waterproof six-degree table.

A "reactive jumps" study will use a newly developed exercise device that allows subjects to jump in a horizontal position using low-pressure cylinders to recreate gravity. The experiment is designed to examine bone, muscle and coordination, and is the first time that reactive jumping will be looked at as a possible way of avoiding muscle loss in space.

Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) are forced to exercise for two hours per day, in a bid to prevent muscle and bone depletion as best as possible. The researchers are looking for the most effective exercise methods to achieve this. "Short, crisp training with strong muscle stimulation - this has never been done in space before," said Mulder.

A total of 90 experiments will be conducted at the Envihab over the next two months, examining insulin resistance, the cardiovascular system, balance, the eyes, thermoregulation and how the brain copes with upside-down rest. Apart from this, scientists will also be monitoring how simulated zero gravity affects a range of specific organs.

Boredom not a problem

Lucas Braunschmidt is one of the volunteers. He told DW that the two-month stint would be a perfect way to bridge the time he has before starting a new job as an occupational therapist. "I'm interested in the experience," he said. His line of work will also deal with people suffering from long periods of being bedridden, and the consequent need to rebuild muscle and bone mass.

Braunschmidt said the experiment could lead to new things, perhaps even studies in medicine. "It will be a way to see the latest methods of examination and also to get an idea of how research really works."

A team of doctors and researchers will keep the subjects like Braunschmidt on their toes. "I don't think I'm going to be bored," he laughed.

Besides, he brought a library of entertainment with him - DVDs, books, magazines. And though he won't be in space, he'll be one of the few people out there who can say they've watched Star Wars or Apollo 13 while feeling virtual weightlessness.